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I live in the UK and am an avid reader of YA, New Adult and occasionally adult fiction. I set up this website to give honest reviews about books I read and I also post reviews at Wastepaperprose. If you are an author, publisher or publicist and would like me to review a book, please e mail me here.

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Monday, 31 October 2011

I first heard about Darker Still by Leanne Renee Hieber at BEA (Book Expo America) back in May of this year, which incidentally seems like a life time ago, after a friend showed me the incredibly beautiful cover. I read the synopsis and my interest was sparked - I HAD to read this. Unfortunately, all the review copies were gone but I got the opportunity to meet the wonderful Ms Hieber who as it turns out is basically more British than I am! She was born in Ohio LOL.

Thankfully, an extremely nice publicist at Source Books sent me a copy and I devoured it over the course of a couple of days. With nods to Dorian Gray and possibly influenced by Roald Dahl’s The Witches and Harry Potter with their living paintings, Darker Still is a wonderfully gothic tale set in Victorian New York and although I haven’t read a historical novel in quite some time, I absolutely loved it. Here’s the synopsis:

“The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice, with a dash of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

New York City, 1882. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart's latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing...

Jonathan Denbury's soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul.”

Although she is the also the author of the “Strangely Beautiful” series, this is the first novel I have read by Leanna and I have to admit to being suitably impressed. The style of language is on the whole authentic and I enjoyed the plot immensely. I have to say that New York is one of my favourite US cities and one that I’ve had the fortune of visiting on a number of occasions. It was wonderful to imagine the bright lights of New York dimmed down to reflect times of olde and I enjoyed reading a Victorian novel, set in another country other than London. Funnily enough, sometimes I forgot it was set in New York, I think because Lord Denbury hails from England. The Victorian era is a PERFECT setting for a story dripping in dark magic. I have to admit that it got a little creepy at times, but not enough for me to want to stop reading!

Natalie is of course the heroine of the story and although she cannot speak, she is a strong, intelligent young woman who does a lot of listening and keeps a lot of secrets. The story is told through diary entries with the occasional letter and newspaper article and this is a format that I haven’t seen in a long time. I actually thought that it was EXTREMELY clever of Leanna to have Natalie tell her tale in the form of Diary entries. This might seem obvious (as she cannot speak) but it’s not really something I had considered before I read the book. I have to say that I really enjoyed the idea that Natalie is looked on as the one to save Jonathan (GIRL POWER!!) and perhaps to the outside world she seems like an unlikely heroine but we know better ;)

I don’t really have a lot to say about Jonathan other than he is a dashing young gentleman and the equivalent of the beautiful girl who needs to be rescued....only he’s a guy. He just so happens to be a doctor and ordinarily that might make me swoon but I’m a nurse and I know the reality so doctor’s don’t have that effect on my anymore sadly. He seems like a nice guy who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Unlucky. On the flip side however, it’s LUCKY for him that Natalie comes along at the right time as she is the only one who has any hope of saving him.

Darker Still definitely works as a standalone and whilst I know this book is part of the “Murder Most Foul” saga, I’m not sure if any of the stories are connected or not. If you’re looking for a story that is a bit different from the norm but is still hugely entertaining, then I would definitely recommend this book. Let yourself travel back in time and experience the gothic delights of Darker Still.

Darker Still is released on 1st November, 2011. There is no news about a UK release as of yet but you can get it from online book sellers. To find out more about Leanna and her books, click here to visit the website. She is also active on Facebook and Twitter.

Sunday, 30 October 2011

It's that time again, NANOWRIMO or National Novel Writing Month is almost upon us. If you have no idea what I'm talking about click here to visit the official website which will tell you more. In short, aspiring writers and published authors attempt to write 50,000 words during the month of November. That's about 1667 words a day in case you're wondering and that includes weekends. It's a way of getting your arse into gear and turning off your inner editor, both of which I definitely need.

So you may remember that I participated last year and won which I'm incredibly proud about as it was my first time doing anything like this. This year however, I decided that I was going to do it...and then I wasn't....and now I am LOL. Thanks to one of my blogger friends, she convinced me not to be so worried about it and just go for it. So I am! I'm never short of ideas and there is a particular story that I've been thinking about for some time and will not leave my head. I believe it is demanding to be written and so this is what I'm going to do. It's called "The Guardian" and I actually posted the beginning of it on Figment (a writing forum) as part of a contest some time ago. I don't consider it cheating however as it's only a handful of words and they may even get scrapped anyway. If you're interested, the beginning is here.

So, it's settled. I'm all signed up for Nanowrimo and today I'm going to do some preparation. If the blog gets a little quiet or I'm late with responding to e mails in the next month, at least you will know why. I'm going to have to avoid Twitter and Facebook as much as I can and work my little socks off so please wish me luck! And...if you want to add me on Nanowrimo, my name is "Fairydust". I chose this name last year as I thought I needed a little fairydust sprinkled on me to win ;)

Saturday, 29 October 2011

Just in case you haven't heard, I thought you might appreciate some awesome news about books I love being made into movies...well sort of. The film rights have been optioned and this basically means that film production companies have secured exclusive rights to make the movie if they want to AKA they like the story, think it has potential and do not want rival film companies to get their hands on it.

First up is FORGOTTEN by Cat Patrick. I really enjoyed this book, especially the concept and I would love to see this up on the big screen! If you haven't read this yet, here's the synopsis:

"Each night when 16 year-old London Lane goes to sleep, her whole world disappears. In the morning, all that's left is a note telling her about a day she can't remember. The whole scenario doesn't exactly make high school or dating that hot guy whose name she can't seem to recall any easier. But when London starts experiencing disturbing visions she can't make sense of, she realizes it's time to learn a little more about the past she keeps forgetting-before it destroys her future.

Part psychological drama, part romance, and part mystery, this thought-provoking novel will inspire readers to consider the what-if's in their own lives and recognize the power they have to control their destinies."

For the official details of this news, please click here. Forgotten was published on 7th June, 2011 and you can find out more about Cat Patrick and her books here.

Next up is THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater. Now it's no secret that Maggie Stiefvater is one of my favourite authors and I loved The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy (I'm still waiting to see Shiver up on the big screen!). I have to admit that I haven't read this yet (it's next on the list) and I'm very excited about the fact that the film rights have been optioned and is further confirmation that this book is good! If you haven't read it yet, here's the synopsis:

"It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen."

For official details of this news, please click here. The Scorpio Races was published on 18th October, 2011 and you can find out more about Maggie and her books here.

Last but by no means least is HOURGLASS by Myra McEntire. I *LOVED* this book and I was very excited to hear recently that the movie rights have been optioned! I think Myra's story with it's humour and sensitivity would translate very well from book to screen and I CANNOT WAIT for this to happen so I hope it does! If you haven't read this yet, here's the synopsis:

"One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut."

For official details of this news, click here. Hourglass was published on 14th June, 2011 and you can find out more about Myra and her books here.

Welcome to day 8 and the FINAL DAY of The Crossroads Blog Tour. Today I take great pleasure in hosting Angie Frazier and Kiki Hamilton. If you have no idea what The Crossroads Blog Tour is, then you are seriously missing out and URGENTLY need to click here to find out more information as there are TONS of fabulous prizes to be won!

First up is Angie Frazier, author of some of my favourite books - Everlasting, The Eternal Sea and the Suzanna Snow books.

Welcome to the blog Angie! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

The book that is currently with my agent is a YA fantasy that involves a princess, an assassin, a girl disguised as a boy, magic, and more blood than I’m used to writing about!

Oooooh, I want to know more!!!! Tell us, how do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

I get story ideas all the time. Literally at least once a day I find myself plotting out a whole new storyline. Ideas come from all over—the news, a picture, people watching, a place, something someone says. My imagination picks something up and runs off into the corner to play and plot and see if a story could be made of it.

On a separate note, are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

I really want to have a fun costume. I’m thinking I’d like to dress up as Carol Burnett’s farce of Scarlett O’Hara—wear a curtain rod with curtains still on it, and a big tassel on my head. I’d like to see if anyone gets it!

Are there any more books in the Everlasting series? What’s next?

Not at the moment, though I’d love to write a third and final book. Next up is a second Suzanna Snow mystery, THE MASTERMIND PLOT (March 1, 2012), and hopefully (crossing fingers) a few more YA projects.

I would do ANYTHING to get that third book written Angie so if you want to me to beg or petition anyone, please let me know ;) Here's hoping for more YA books from you! To find out more about Angie and her books, click here to visit her website. Next up is debut author Kiki Hamilton and her book is called The Faerie Ring.

Welcome to the blog Kiki! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

*gasp* Reveal my secrets?! Let’s see...Tiki meets someone in book two who is very handsome and equally intriguing....

I am going to try and remember that one for book two! Tell us, how do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

Hmmm, that’s an interesting question. They just sort of unravel in my head – some easier than others. I just wrote a YA contemporary novel where the idea for it came to me in a dream about a year ago. With THE FAERIE RING, I started with Tiki being a pickpocket in Victorian London and it just sort of went on from there.

Awesome, glad to hear it's being released in the UK too! Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

The normal - handing out candy to the neighbor kids.

Yeah, I was going to do that but I ate all the candy *evil laugh* Will this be a series?

Yes, I have the second book written and there will be a third and maybe a fourth.

Fantastic news! To find out more about Kiki and her books, please click here to visit her website.

Thank you to both Angie and Kiki for being my guests on the blog today. Don't forget that each day of The Crossroads Blog Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page here and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Answers are to be emailed to bridgesocialmedia@gmail.com by October 31st at MIDNIGHT. Winner of the grand prize will be announced on November 1st, the DAY OF THE DEAD. I will also be holding a contest in the near future and details are coming.

BRIDGE Social Media is holding a special promotion for public libraries. Libraries that actively promote the Crossroads tour (post a link on their website, mention it in their newsletters, etc) can email us proof of their promotional activities by midnight on OCTOBER 31st to be entered in a draw to win a FREE SKYPE AUTHOR VISIT FOR THEIR LIBRARIES – WITH BEST-SELLING YA AUTHOR, RACHEL VINCENT.

Friday, 28 October 2011

Welcome to day 7 of The Crossroads Blog Tour and today I am hosting two lovely ladies - Stacey Kade and the organiser of this blog tour Judith Graves. If you have no idea what The Crossroads Blog Tour is, then you are seriously missing out and URGENTLY need to click here to find out more information as there are TONS of fabulous prizes to be won!

First up for a grilling is Stacey Kade, author of The Ghost and the Goth and the sequel, Queen of the Dead. Welcome to the blog Stacey! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

Hmmm. We may see Alona in her gym uniform again. (Those of you who’ve read the end of Queen of the Dead will be the ones to understand the significance of that...)

Interesting....Tell us, how do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

I think it’s hard to pinpoint where inspiration comes from for writers. Sometimes, we take in information from all different sources, and it sort of simmers on the back burner until something comes together. Other times, an idea just shows up. Usually when you’re not thinking about anything in particular!

Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

Nope, just handing out candy. That’s actually my favorite part. I love seeing all the costumes!

Me too! What are you working on right now?

I just turned in a draft of my 2013 release, The Rules. It’s the first book in a new series. It’s about a girl who was raised as a genetic experiment hiding from her creators under the guise of being a “normal” sixteen-year-old, and the boy who tempts her to break the rules that confine her existence and keep her safe.

Oh I am enjoying hearing about what authors are working on next and The Rules sounds really good! *adds to wishlist*. To find out more about Stacey and her books, click here. Next up is one of the best Canadians I know and that is Judith Graves, author of the Skinned series (Under my Skin, Second Skin and Skin of My Teeth).

Judith! Welcome to the blog! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

Any of my husband’s students will know this, lol…but it’s not common knowledge to most of my readers. The dolls featured in Second Skin, which I called, Reality Babes, are based upon real infant simulators used in schools. I have a total doll phobia, so when my husband told me about this one aspect of his Career and Life Management class I HAD to incorporate a version of them in Second Skin as the novel focuses on phobias, fears and nightmares. The infant simulators are so lifelike you can hear them breathing. Students have to care for these fake “children”, taking them everywhere with them for an entire week. Their parenting skills are then evaluated via a computer chip implanted in the doll. A great educational tool, yes, but damn creepy. I’d have flunked the class – refusing to take one home.

I hate dolls too...and clowns *shudder*. Tell us, how do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

Inspiration strikes at any time, in any location. I’ve learned to carry a coil notebook with me at all times and have ones of various sizes to fit in the glove compartment of my car, my purse, my gym bag, etc. I also record ideas as audio files on my cell phone if paper isn’t handy.

Any thing, any one, any sound, setting or situation can spark an idea. The challenge is to figure out which ideas are worth pursuing.

I have learnt to carry a notebook everywhere and have just discovered the voice recording on my iphone lately ;) Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

I’m probably going to do the usual, hand out candy, rent a ton of horror flicks and settle in for the night, however, I’m in awe of the Haunted House my writer friend, and fellow Crossroads Tour author, Dawn Dalton has planned. Might have to crash that party…it would sooo be worth the 4 hr drive. She’s creating all kinds of wicked decorations from chicken-wire ghosts to haunted mason jars. Check them out on her blog: http://dawnmdalton.blogspot.com/

What are you working on after this series ends?

I’ve got several projects in the works as I complete the Skinned series. I have a middle-grade non-fiction project, Most-Wanted Monsters (http://mostwantedmonsters.blogspot.com/) – with the amazing Dawn Dalton - and will hopefully be able to reveal more details about it soon.

I have a steampunk short story, Strangeways vs. the Wraith, coming out in the Spirited: 13 Haunting Tales, an anthology published by Leap Books with proceeds going to a literacy-based charity. Spirited also features stories by: Maria V. Snyder, Candace Havens, Jill Williamson, Shannon Delany, Kitty Keswick, Linda Joy Singleton, Dawn Dalton and more!

Check out the trailer: http://youtu.be/-9yZlLasZ7Y

Sounds great, a lot of YA authors are dabbling in MG these days! To find out more about Judith and her books, click here.

Thank you to both Stacey and Judith for being my guests on the blog today. Don't forget that each day of The Crossroads Blog Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page here and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Answers are to be emailed to bridgesocialmedia@gmail.com by October 31st at MIDNIGHT. Winner of the grand prize will be announced on November 1st, the DAY OF THE DEAD. I will also be holding a contest in the near future and details are coming.

BRIDGE Social Media is holding a special promotion for public libraries. Libraries that actively promote the Crossroads tour (post a link on their website, mention it in their newsletters, etc) can email us proof of their promotional activities by midnight on OCTOBER 31st to be entered in a draw to win a FREE SKYPE AUTHOR VISIT FOR THEIR LIBRARIES – WITH BEST-SELLING YA AUTHOR, RACHEL VINCENT.

Thursday, 27 October 2011

Welcome to day 6 of The Crossroads Blog Tour and today I am hosting the very lovely Jeri Smith Ready and Amanda Ashby. If you have no idea what The Crossroads Blog Tour is, then you are seriously missing out and URGENTLY need to click here to find out more information as there are TONS of fabulous prizes to be won!

First up is Jeri Smith Ready, author of the WVMP trilogy (adult urban fantasy books) and the Shade trilogy (YA series).Welcome to the blog Jeri! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

In SHINE, we find out what’s really going on at Area 3A, that mysterious place in the Pennsylvania mountains run by the Department of Metaphysical Purity’s Investigation Division. It’s…not pleasant.

Sounds a bit creepy! How do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

Any way I can! Sometimes from the news, sometimes from my own experiences, and sometimes from music.

Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

We’ve spent Halloween with the same friends for the last ten years, usually handing out candy (and eating it) and watching cheesy horror movies. No matter what else is going on in our lives that makes us too busy to get together most of the year, we never miss Halloween. So that’s pretty special.

Sounds like fun, I like the idea of watching cheesy horror movies! What are you working on next?

I’m still revising/perfecting SHINE, the third part of the SHADE trilogy, which comes out MayThen I’ll write the final book in my adult vampire series, LUST FOR LIFE, which comes out next October.

Then I start my first YA contemporary, slated for a Fall 2013 release. We’ll be announcing more details later in October (probably by the time this interview is out!), but I can tell you this much: 1) it’s about a boy and 2) I am very, very excited about it!

Ooooh, I didn't realise you were working on something new so I'm hoping you will keep us posted and tell us all about it soon! To find out more about Jeri and her books, click here to visit her website. Next up is Amanda Ashby, author of Zombie Queen and Fairy Bad Day among others.Welcome Amanda! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

In one version of Fairy Bad Day my heroine got sucked into a computer and had a long conversation with the woman who lived inside the computer. It was actually quite a funny scene though of course it was completely irrelevant to the plot so I had to ditch it!

I love these king of revelations! Tell us how do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

If you look at my above comment I think you can see that I like to play with ideas no matter how weird or dumb they are (and most of them are). So really it’s not so much inspiration, it’s about what we do with the ideas that we have.

Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

Halloween isn’t such a big deal over in Australia though my kids (who watch a LOT of American television) do like to dress up and go trick or treating, though a lot of people don’t have anything to give them so it can be a bit of a pointless exercise!

I had no idea you were Australian! What are you working on right now?

I’m waiting for revisions on the third book in my upcoming middle grade series and I’m also playing with a few new book ideas to send my agent. None of which involve a talking computer!!!!

I believe there is another book in the pipe line too called Demonosity which sounds really interesting. To find out more about Amanda and her books (including Demonosity), click here to visit her website.

Thank you to both Jeri and Amanda for being my guests on the blog today. Don't forget that each day of The Crossroads Blog Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page here and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Answers are to be emailed to bridgesocialmedia@gmail.com by October 31st at MIDNIGHT. Winner of the grand prize will be announced on November 1st, the DAY OF THE DEAD. I will also be holding a contest in the near future and details are coming.

BRIDGE Social Media is holding a special promotion for public libraries. Libraries that actively promote the Crossroads tour (post a link on their website, mention it in their newsletters, etc) can email us proof of their promotional activities by midnight on OCTOBER 31st to be entered in a draw to win a FREE SKYPE AUTHOR VISIT FOR THEIR LIBRARIES – WITH BEST-SELLING YA AUTHOR, RACHEL VINCENT.

Wednesday, 26 October 2011

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Until I Die (the sequel to Die For Me) by Amy Plum. Here's the synopsis:

"Kate has chosen to leave the comfort and safety of her human world in order to join Vincent in the dangerous supernatural universe he inhabits. For his part, he has sworn to go against his very nature and resist the repeated deaths that are his fate as a revenant—even though it will bring him immeasurable suffering.

Heady with romance and rife with danger, the second book of the DIE FOR ME trilogy follows Vincent and Kate as they search—separately—for a solution to their plight, pursuing their quest from the glamorous streets of Paris to the city’s squalid underbelly. Although the experiment that Vincent attempts is progressively destroying him, he insists on seeing it through to the end. This prompts Kate to strike out on her own into the dangerous world of the revenants to find another way. But she unwittingly puts everyone she loves at risk when she discovers a family of ancient healers who hold the key to a secret that could help the bardia—the good revenants—overthrow their murderous enemies, the numa, forever.

And while the lovers search for something they have little chance of finding, a new threat arises among the numa. Kate finds herself in the midst of an ancient and deadly war, not as a bystander...but as a target."

So, this is a weird choice for me this week - not because I don't want to read the book but because although I have the hardback of Die For Me, I still haven't read it yet (I know, but if you saw my TBR pile, you'd totally understand). BUT, will you look at how STUNNING that cover is? I'd buy it for that alone at this point! I love the romance of it all and Paris is one of those cities that I've always wanted to visit so I know I'm going to enjoy these books. One good thing about not reading a book early or when it's just been released is that thankfully I don't have to wait as long for the sequel. HOORAH! Trust me to find the positive ;) Until I Die is published on 3rd May, 2012.

Welcome to day 5 of The Crossroads Blog Tour and you can believe that I have ANOTHER two special guests on the blog today - Joy Preble and Dawn Dalton. If you have no idea what The Crossroads Blog Tour is, then you are seriously missing out and URGENTLY need to click here to find out more information as there are TONS of fabulous prizes to be won!

First up is Joy Preble, author of the Dreaming Anastasia series.

Welcome Joy! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

Ooh! Great spoilery question! Hmmm…. We actually are just beginning the editing process for Again and Again (DA3), so I never know what will stay and what will go, but I will say that Anne ends up having to confront Ethan’s past… and gets to find out more about a past love of his! Let’s just say that it’s interesting…

Ooooooh! Tell us, how do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

Lots of places. The Dreaming Anastasia series is obviously influenced by history. But beyond that, I think I’m always looking and observing. I study what happens to people around me and I think – what would happen if… Usually I’m taking some seed of a real life idea but I’m intensifying it to bring out the drama. Like when Anne meets Ethan. Lots of us wish we would meet this hot, handsome stranger. But what if he was from another time? What if he had a mission? What if he turned your life upside down? Life isn’t usually that exciting. But in a novel – anything can happen!

True, I would love to live in a novel *sigh* Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

Not sure yet, but in a related topic, I will be working on my costume for Austin Comic Con. I will be at our Writing Ninjas of Texas booth in my lilac rusalka costume! For the uninitiated, a rusalka is a malevolent Russian mermaid that is the main supernatural creature in Haunted and also plays a large role in book 3 of the Dreaming Anastasia series, coming out next year!

What are you working on after this series ends?

I am so very excited to announce that I am finishing up a completely different book called The Sweet Dead Life, which will release in 2013 from the new Soho Teen imprint. I’ve gotten to work with the delightful and brilliant Dan Ehrenhaft again, which has been awesome. TSDL is another paranormal, but it’s definitely a little edgier, a lot funnier, and it’s set right here in Texas. The basic blurb goes like this:

THE SWEET DEAD LIFE, in which a sixteen-year-old stoner returns from a fatal car accident as his dying sister's guardian angel and helps her solve a vast family mystery.

Oh, I am liking the sound of that *adds to wish list*. Thank you for answering my questions Joy! To find out more about Joy and her books, click here to visit her website. Next up is Dawn Dalton, author and contributor to the paranormal anthology Spirited: 13 Haunting Tales.Welcome Dawn! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

They say every character has a little of the writer in them, and for the most part, I believe that. But the character in my current work-in-progress is more about who I WISH I could be – she’s outspoken, confident, athletic, and packs a pretty punch, figuratively and literally.

I love a strong, female character :) How do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

Everywhere! I read a lot of magazines and newspapers, eavesdrop on conversations, and carry a notebook with me at all times. One of my current projects was even inspired by a cliché.

Really? That's piqued my interest! Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

Halloween is a big deal at our house. We spend more money and time on Halloween décor than Christmas! My husband even built a coffin last year, and when the local trick or treaters came by, he gave them all quite a scare.

This year we moved out to the country and our yard is fenced – so we’ve rented the community hall and are throwing a great Halloween party for the local youth. We have animated ghosts and goblins, a creepy tombstone garden, and lots of gadgets that light up and make noise. I know, a bit overboard, right?

My family also does a pumpkin-carving contest, though my husband always wins. He’s quite the artist, and a construction worker…last year he carved his entire werewolf pumpkin with a skill saw!

Wow, I can't believe you make more of a deal out of it than Christmas. I'll bet Halloween is fun at your house! What are you working on next?

I always have a handful of projects on the go. I just finished a children’s graphic novel called Gotta Jet! (not creepy), and am co-writing with Judith Graves a series of non-fiction books for middle grade readers calls Most-Wanted Monsters (creepy!) I also write adult thriller and paranormal romance under the name, Dawn Ius.

To find out more about Dawn and her books, click here to visit her website. Thank you to both Joy and Dawn for being my guests on the blog today.

Don't forget that each day of The Crossroads Blog Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page here and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Answers are to be emailed to bridgesocialmedia@gmail.com by October 31st at MIDNIGHT. Winner of the grand prize will be announced on November 1st, the DAY OF THE DEAD. I will also be holding a contest in the near future and details are coming.

BRIDGE Social Media is holding a special promotion for public libraries. Libraries that actively promote the Crossroads tour (post a link on their website, mention it in their newsletters, etc) can email us proof of their promotional activities by midnight on OCTOBER 31st to be entered in a draw to win a FREE SKYPE AUTHOR VISIT FOR THEIR LIBRARIES – WITH BEST-SELLING YA AUTHOR, RACHEL VINCENT.

Tuesday, 25 October 2011

Welcome to day 4 of The Crossroads Blog Tour (wow, I can't believe it's day 4 already!) AND today I have another two special guests - Kitty Keswick and Linda Joy Singleton. If you have no idea what The Crossroads Blog Tour is, then you are seriously missing out and URGENTLY need to click here to find out more information as there are TONS of fabulous prizes to be won!

In the meantime however, First up for a grilling on the blog is Kitty Keswick, author of the Freaksville series.Welcome Kitty! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

Kasey falls in love with a new guy and is torn!

Ooooooh! Tell us how do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

My dreams, life, art, etc.Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

I’m in the process of opening a bookstore. So I’d love to have a Halloween Launch. But construction is taking a wee bit longer than I thought, so I’m not sure. I’ll definitely be participating in trunk or treat, where local kids gather treats from cars rather than houses.

That sounds awesome, hopefully you will tell us more closer to opening! In the meantime, what are you working on right now?

I have a few things brewing in my pot. A YA that has some interesting elements, not truly Steampunk, but a slight flavour. It’s set in a world where electricity isn’t allowed. I’m also trying my hand at writing a Middle Grade novel. I’ve also written a short ghost story for charity called Death Becomes Her. It is in the Spirited anthology that is coming out in October.

Sounds good! Thank you for answering my questions! To find out more about Kitty and her books, click here to visit her website. Next up is Linda Joy Singleton, author of the Dead Girl series.Welcome Linda! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

Hmmm…well in BURIED Thorn goes out with a mysterious guy and they have a crazy adventure which involves painting a truck pink. BURIED comes out in March from Flux.

I love getting inside information! Tell us, how do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

Dreams and daydreams and a lifetime of reading.

Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

YES! Around 30 members of the Singleton Family are going on a 4-day cruise to Mexico on Halloween day. It’s going to be crazy fun.

That sounds like a blast! What are you working on right now?

I just finished a science fiction YA (mystery-romance) and my agent is shopping it to editors. Since it’s the first book in a trilogy, I need to get started on Book 2 soon, so I’ve started writing down ideas for the plot. I have a general idea of what will happen but expect lots of surprises along the way.

Oh, I'm loving the sound of that already as it sounds right up my street! Hopefully you will keep us posted! To find out more about Linda and her books, click here to visit her website.

Thank you to both Kitty and Linda for being my guests on the blog today. Don't forget that each day of The Crossroads Blog Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page here and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Answers are to be emailed to bridgesocialmedia@gmail.com by October 31st at MIDNIGHT. Winner of the grand prize will be announced on November 1st, the DAY OF THE DEAD. I will also be holding a contest in the near future and details are coming.

BRIDGE Social Media is holding a special promotion for public libraries. Libraries that actively promote the Crossroads tour (post a link on their website, mention it in their newsletters, etc) can email us proof of their promotional activities by midnight on OCTOBER 31st to be entered in a draw to win a FREE SKYPE AUTHOR VISIT FOR THEIR LIBRARIES – WITH BEST-SELLING YA AUTHOR, RACHEL VINCENT.

Monday, 24 October 2011

Welcome to day 3 of The Crossroads Blog Tour and today my two special guests are Shannon Delany and Carrie Harris. First up is Shannon Delany who is of course the author of the 13 to Life series which I highly recommend. Shannon was a little bit naughty in that she didn't answer all of my questions and I can only think that she is holding her cards close to her chest which makes me that bit more curious but here's what I could get from her...

Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

YES. I am participating in a great multi-author event in Johnstown, NY called Unmask the Writer Within. It’s a first year event and we’re doing workshops, readings, panels, signings and a ghost tour and masquerade to wrap things up! I’m VERY excited!

If only I lived in the same country! What are you working on next?

I am TOTALLY head over heels in love with the two projects I’m doing next... I’m working on a cyberpunk/sci-fi story that connects to my short Augmented reality-spiked story “To Hel and Back” (included in Leap Books’ anthology for charity SPIRITED: 13 Haunting Tales) AND I’m digging deep into some amazing historical research for a novel that deals with a revolutionary moment in American history (not the Rev War) which helped change things forever. And includes kissing. Huh. Both stories include revolution, rebellion and kissing. No wonder I adore them!

I like ths sound of both of those projects, I have to say! Thank you Shannon :) Next up, I'm pleased to welcome Carrie Harris (author of Bad Taste in Boys) to the blog.

Welcome Carrie! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

Well, in BAD HAIR DAY, Kate has more than werewolves on her hands. She’s also got to deal with another girl who’s trying to steal her boyfriend Aaron, and that means making some very tough choices. It’s hard to justify obsessing over your relationship when people are dying. And not everyone makes it out alive in this book.

Dum dum DUUUUUM.

Eek! How do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

I get inspiration from all over the place. Movies, news articles, music. But more than anything, I get them from my friends. I hang out with some very strange people who send me emails that say things like, “I reserve the right to make a bacon hat.” My husband is a ninja doctor, and his nickname is Slayer because of the one time he ran up a sheer rock wall to save me from a swarm of bees. I’m always laughing at the crazy things going on around me, but there’s a part of my brain that’s carefully cataloguing every event for later. BEWARE, PEOPLE WHO KNOW ME. IF YOU MAKE ME ANGRY, I HAVE LOTS OF AMMO.

I’m kidding about that. Mostly.

Remind me never to upset you! Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

Halloween is of course my favorite holiday ever. It’s also my son’s birthday, which is so epicsauce. I think this year, he wants to have a costume party, which means that I will be making cupcakes with zombie hands sticking out the top and dressing up like Zombie Gaga and herding a bunch of eight-year-olds around my house. And I’m way too excited about this.

I hope there will be some photographic evidence available for that ;) What are you working on next?

I just finished copy edits on the sequel last week! It’s called BAD HAIR DAY, and it’s a whole new adventure for Kate involving werewolves and nanotechnology and killer coconuts and blueberry flavored astronauts. Can you tell that I had a lot of fun writing it? I’m also waiting for feedback on my third book, which I’m really looking forward to tearing apart. I’m a very heavy editor too—I admire people who can write pretty first drafts and send them in right away, but I’m not one of them.

In short, I’m plenty busy! That’s one of the things I like about my job—I can be working on lots of different things at once so I never get bored. And really, between the zombies and the werewolves and the blueberry flavored astronauts, it’s anything but boring around here.

Thank you to both Shannon and Carrie for being my guests on the blog today. Don't forget that each day of The Crossroads Blog Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page here and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Answers are to be emailed to bridgesocialmedia@gmail.com by October 31st at MIDNIGHT. Winner of the grand prize will be announced on November 1st, the DAY OF THE DEAD. I will also be holding a contest in the near future and details are coming.

BRIDGE Social Media is holding a special promotion for public libraries. Libraries that actively promote the Crossroads tour (post a link on their website, mention it in their newsletters, etc) can email us proof of their promotional activities by midnight on OCTOBER 31st to be entered in a draw to win a FREE SKYPE AUTHOR VISIT FOR THEIR LIBRARIES – WITH BEST-SELLING YA AUTHOR, RACHEL VINCENT.

Sunday, 23 October 2011

Welcome to Day 2 of The Crossroads Blog Tour and today I am extremely pleased to present Rachel Vincent (author of the Unbound trilogy and Soulscreamers series) who agreed to a good old Narratively Speaking grilling ;)

Welcome to the blog Rachel! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

In my Unbound trilogy, the second book, Shadow Bound, was actually the one I proposed to my editor first. She thought it wouldn’t be the best introduction to the world I’d created and asked me to do another character’s story in that world first, which is how Blood Bound came to be.

How do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

Lots of hard work and brainstorming. And fajitas. Seriously.

I think I'm going to have to eat more fajitas then! Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

I don’t dress up, but we always decorate the yard and make a Haunted Gingerbread House. And recently we’ve started having a Halloween “feast,” complete with gross but fun foods.

Sounds good! What are you working on after this series ends?

I’m not actually at the end of either the Soul Screamers or the Unbound series yet, but I do have several other ideas on my proverbial back burner. Nothing I can talk about yet, though.

Thank you Rachel! Don't forget that each day of The Crossroads Blog Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page here and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Answers are to be emailed to bridgesocialmedia@gmail.com by October 31st at MIDNIGHT. Winner of the grand prize will be announced on November 1st, the DAY OF THE DEAD. I will also be holding a contest in the near future and details are coming.

BRIDGE Social Media is holding a special promotion for public libraries. Libraries that actively promote the Crossroads tour (post a link on their website, mention it in their newsletters, etc) can email us proof of their promotional activities by midnight on OCTOBER 31st to be entered in a draw to win a FREE SKYPE AUTHOR VISIT FOR THEIR LIBRARIES – WITH BEST-SELLING YA AUTHOR, RACHEL VINCENT.

Saturday, 22 October 2011

Welcome to day 1 of the Crossroads Blog Tour and I am very pleased to welcome not one, but TWO guests to the blog today. I had the opportunity to ask them some questions which I thought you might like the answer to. The first guest is Lucienne Diver, author of Bad Blood, Vamped and Revamped.Welcome Lucienne! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

There’s a music video! Okay, maybe this isn’t something no one else knows, since we unveiled a sort of first draft of the Vamped series video at DragonCon, but it’s new and exciting all the same! I can’t wait to see the final cuts and to do the unveiling! It’s got an all-original song done by the amazing Catriona, who coincidentally looks a lot like my heroine, Gina.

How do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

It’s funny, it’s usually not ideas that occur to me first, it’s characters. Then I have to figure out something for them to do beyond torment me night and day with fashion advice. I had to give Gina a plot and an entourage simply in self-defense.

Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

Trick-or-treating with my son before he’s too old to want me tagging along! We generally dress up. Last year I was Hermione to his Harry Potter, but this year, I think I’ll go as Aphrodite, inspired by our trip to Greece back in April and the fabulous dress I bought there. Gina would be so proud.

What are you working on right now?

The fourth book in the series, Fangtabulous. This one is set in Salem, Massachussets. It will, I think, be the best yet! (Of course, I always feel that way about the current book.) You can find out more about the vamped series here.

Thank you Lucienne for answering my questions and my second guest and next in the firing line is Jackie Morse Kessler, author of Hunger, Rage and the upcoming book entitled Loss.

Welcome Jackie! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

There is major foreshadowing in LOSS about BREATH (the last book in the Riders of the Apocalypse) and the nature of Death. Hugely major. Majorly major, even.

How do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

Inspiration is all around us. Sometimes, that inspiration comes from personal experience. For example, I’m a former bulimic, and I’ve wanted to write a book about a girl with an eating disorder for a long time, and I finally wrote HUNGER. I used to play soccer in high school, so the protagonist of RAGE plays varsity soccer. I’m very uneasy about Alzheimer’s – actually, terrified is more accurate – and that theme comes up quite a bit in LOSS. And sometimes that inspiration comes from what I see or hear or read, or a topic that resonates with me.

And if none of that works, I take out an ad in Craigslist. ;)

Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

I’m going to be on trick-or-treat duty, either with our Precious Little Tax Deductions or being on Door Patrol when trick-or-treaters come in search of deliciousness in small packages.

What are you working on after this series ends?

I’m currently working on a super sekrit project, which I’m writing with my sons in mind. And then I want to write an urban fantasy book aimed at adults (read: nookie as well as graphic battle scenes). And I have an idea for a YA par-rom duology. We’ll see what happens!

Thank you for answering my questions Jackie!

Don't forget that each day of The Crossroads Blog Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page here and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Answers are to be emailed to bridgesocialmedia@gmail.com by October 31st at MIDNIGHT. Winner of the grand prize will be announced on November 1st, the DAY OF THE DEAD. I will also be holding a contest in the near future and details are coming.

Follow the tour on Twitter: @TheCrossroadsBT

And Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Crossroads-Blog-Tour/218310244897337

BRIDGE Social Media is holding a special promotion for public libraries. Libraries that actively promote the Crossroads tour (post a link on their website, mention it in their newsletters, etc) can email us proof of their promotional activities by midnight on OCTOBER 31st to be entered in a draw to win a FREE SKYPE AUTHOR VISIT FOR THEIR LIBRARIES – WITH BEST-SELLING YA AUTHOR, RACHEL VINCENT.

Wednesday, 19 October 2011

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is the final book in the Personal Demons trilogy, Last Rite by Lisa Desrochers. Here's the synopsis:

"What happens when you can't outrun Hell—or trust the ones you love?"

I suspect there may be a longer synopsis in the near future...or maybe not but you know what? It doesn't matter because I will STILL be dying to read it. I've made no secret about the fact that this is one of my favourite book series and reading this book will be bittersweet since it's the last one in the trilogy. I need to know what happens though and I'm still hoping for some sort of spin off or prequel. I'm also excited to see what Lisa comes out with next as you can be sure I will be buying it. As soon as this is available for pre order I will be buying it ;) If you haven't started this series yet, do yourself a favour and read them. Also, I LOVE this cover. Definitely the best one yet :)

Monday, 17 October 2011

I feel like this book should come with a warning and it should be in large, neon letters that blink continuously and say:

WARNING! After reading Lola, you will be incoherent (that’s if you can speak at all) and have a far off dreamy look in your eyes whilst the rest of the world is screaming your name but you...alas...cannot hear them. There is no data on how long these side effects will last.

Yes. You WILL look like this...

Let’s get something straight, right off the bat. Stephanie Perkins knows how to write a damn good story. She did it with Anna and the French Kiss and she’s done it again with the companion book Lola and the Boy Next Door. I’m not entirely sure how she manages to do this but I’m hoping one day she will share her secrets with me. And yes, I realise that this is wishful thinking but what can I say? I’m an optimist. Whereas Anna for me was a cosy book, Lola is definitely a cute book that is dripping in gorgeousness. If Lola and the Boy Next Door were a costume, it would be a classy Cinderella gown littered with glitter, sparkly sequins and shiny pearls. The kind of dress that leaves you awestruck (please refer back to the opening statement for more details).

Here’s the synopsis:

“Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighbourhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.”

Lola and the Boy Next Door is a character driven novel and so I’m going to start with one of the main characters – Lola. I have to say that I have a certain amount of admiration for this girl. At her age, I would NEVER have had the gall to dress up in the ensembles she puts together on a daily basis. I love the idea of the wigs though and I can’t decide whether she is brave for putting herself out there to be ridiculed or whether she just doesn’t care. Actually, that’s not true because now I’ve finished the book, I know exactly why she does what she does but I want you to come to that realisation on your own because of course you’re going to read the book after this, right?! I do love her artistic spirit though and if there is one thing I would love to be able to do, it’s make my own clothes – I can only just about sew on a button! Not only is Lola amazing but she has two amazing gay dads and an unfortunate deadbeat mother who turns up when she needs bailing out of whatever mess she’s gotten herself into this time. I loved the fact that the dads were an ever present force in her life and not just family members that meld into the background. I also need to drop in at this point that Lola’s best friend Lindsay has the most fabulous name ever....just so you know ;)

The “boy next door” mentioned in the title is of course Cricket and what I love most about him is that he is the personification of a nice guy and HE PROVES without a shadow of a doubt that nice guys DO get the girl. This might sound like a spoiler to you but let’s be honest here, you’re smart enough to know what’s going to happen but you DONT CARE that you know, you just know that you WANT IT to happen. I mean, I like a bad boy as much as the next girl but nice guys melt my heart into a puddle on the floor. Cricket is endearingly awkward at times but incredibly sincere and he might be a bit geeky but the fact that he invents things is actually really cool and shows that he’s smart. And the late night chats across the facing bedroom windows? ADORABLE.

I think you can gather by now that I absolutely loved this book and Stephanie Perkins is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. I’m planning on pre-ordering Isla and the Happily Ever After (the next companion book) as soon as it’s available and you can guarantee that I will read anything that Stephanie writes from now on. Just one last thing about Lola...if your heart doesn’t melt after reading this book, then there is something seriously wrong with you.

Lola and the Boy Next Door was published on 29th September, 2011. Isla and the Happily Ever After will be published sometime next year. I know you may find this shockingly outrageous (as I do) but there is as of yet NO UK PUBLISHER and there totally should be. If you want to find out more about Stephanie Perkins and her gorgeous books, click here to visit her website. She is also active on Twitter.

Saturday, 15 October 2011

In Lynsey’s book world, some of my favourite words are “sequel” and even better “trilogy” but do you know what tops even that? The following words....”There will be 3 more books in the series”. CUE FULL ON HAPPY DANCE x A GAZILLION!!! I have to say that after reading it, City of Glass AKA book three in the Mortal Instruments series could have wrapped things up quite nicely but by God am I jumping for joy that there are three, yes THREE more books in the series. It’s like Santa came early.

Anyway, I digress. Obviously it goes without saying that you should have read City of Bones and City of Ashes before even thinking about checking out this review and incidently, previous reviews for both books can be found here and here. For everyone else, let me just say that OMG THIS BOOK TOTALLY BLEW ME AWAY! It is easily my favourite book of the series so far. City of Glass is full of action and adventure only this time we’re in Idris and everything is building up to a climax. Here’s the synopsis:

“To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters -- never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her new found powers to help save the Glass City -- whatever the cost?”

You know what I love about Simon? He never ceases to surprise me and I personally think that he is completely awesome. Not only does he have some of the best one liners that make me laugh out loud but he (like Clary actually) is such an unlikely hero and this makes me love him even more. He may not be the romantic lead but he would make a fabulous boyfriend and I just wanted to get that out there.

Don’t worry though, I’m still totally in love with Jace as he continues to go through the mill (see City of Ashes). It’s quite obvious that it’s becoming harder and harder for him and Clary to fight their feelings for each other and Jace takes it upon himself to make the ultimate sacrifice for her. Well he would, wouldn’t he....HE’S JACE! Clary continues to surprise me with her hidden talents and Valentine is such a wonderful, multi layered bad guy that even when I try to hate him, I can’t. Not fully anyway so I can totally relate to Jace’s feelings about his father. Speaking of bad guys, I haven’t quite made my mind up about The Seelie Court Queen. I don’t think she is bad per say, but I do think she is mischievous and will twist any truth if it serves her purpose. I just know we haven’t seen the last of her. AND....we get to meet a new character called Sebastian. Trust me when I tell you that you’re going to be seeing a lot more of him ;)

There are plenty of revelations and explanations in this book as a lot of things seem to reach a jaw dropping climax as downworlders and shadowhunters come together for the first time in history for the fight of their lives...and not everyone is going to make it. I laughed, I cried, I may have even shouted at one point but I loved every minute of it. City of Glass was perfect and I can’t wait to read the next book!

City of Glass was published on 24th March, 2009. TO find out more about Cassandra Clare and her books, please click here to visit her website. She is also active on Facebook and Twitter. Check out the official trailer:

Thursday, 13 October 2011

City of Ashes is of course the sequel to City of Bones and book two in The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. Let me just say that it you haven’t read City of Bones, then I cannot recommend strongly enough that you read it before you check out this review as there be some spoilers for the first book in amongst it all. You could always check out my review for City of Bones in the meantime, if you like which is here. For everyone else, let’s continue.

If you’ve read my review of City of Bones you will by now of course be under no illusion as to how hard I have fallen for this series. And what do you think I did the minute I finished reading the first book? Yep, I dived straight into the sequel. I have nicknamed City of Ashes the “everyone goes through the mill” book because well...everyone does! Clary and Jace are struggling with their feelings for each other in light of what they now know, Alec is struggling with the fact that he thinks no one knows about his sexuality and is scared about how they will react, Isobel is just Isobel and Simon? OMG Simon has the roughest time out of everyone in this book and if you haven’t read it yet, then you’ll see what I mean when you do. Here’s the synopsis:

“As readers of series starter City of Bones already know, teenager Clary Fray is a Shadowhunter, a demon slayer who has the gift of sight and can spot Downworlder werewolves, vampires, and faeries. She is also an adolescent in an abnormally dysfunctional family: Her mom is in a magically induced coma and her father is probably insane and undoubtedly evil. All of which places Clary in situations that would challenge even the most talented average American girl.”

I have to start by saying that it’s nice to have all the original characters back, including the silent brothers (who I admit, I have a little soft spot for) but I also like being introduced to new characters too such as the inquisitor, for example. I liked that Magnus Bane had a bigger role in this book and I think I have a soft spot for him too. I don’t mean romantically of course, but I like his character. I heard from another blogger recently that they pictured Thomas Dekker in this role and I have to admit that I can totally see that (and I have a MASSIVE crush on Thomas FYI).

There is some major demon butt kicking in City of Ashes and Jace? Well, if he wasn’t fearless already, he certainly is in this book ;) There are some startling revelations about Jace and Clary respectively which can certainly only make them stronger - abilities that have never been tested, fears that have never been confronted, and transformations of the shocking variety. By the angel this book HAS IT ALL!

For those of you that have already read City of Ashes, I’m sure it won’t surprise you to hear that the Seelie Court chapter was one of my favourites ;) And I especially liked the extra content from Cassandra (which you can find online) which is basically the same scene but told from Jace’s point of view *swoon*. I definitely recommend you look that up on her website as soon as you’re done reading the book.

City of Ashes is a worthy sequel and yet another fantastic book from Cassandra Clare. I have to say that this book is just as good as the first one and I am literally lapping up this series. I can’t wait to read what happens next but equally, I don’t want it all to end. Thankfully, there are plenty more books in the series to be carrying on with. PHEW! ONWARDS then, to City of Glass.

City of Ashes was published on 25th March, 2008. TO find out more about Cassandra Clare and her books, please click here to visit her website. She is also active on Facebook and Twitter. Again, there is no official book trailer but I found a fan made one that I quite liked and here it is:

Wednesday, 12 October 2011

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman. Here's the synopsis:

"It was like a nightmare, but there was no waking up. When the night began, Nora had two best friends and an embarrassingly storybook one true love. When it ended, she had nothing but blood on her hands and an echoing scream that stopped only when the tranquilizers pierced her veins and left her in the merciful dark.

But the next morning, it was all still true: Chris was dead. His girlfriend Adriane, Nora's best friend, was catatonic. And Max, Nora's sweet, smart, soft-spoken Prince Charming, was gone. He was also—according to the police, according to her parents, according to everyone—a murderer.

Desperate to prove his innocence, Nora follows the trail of blood, no matter where it leads. It ultimately brings her to the ancient streets of Prague, where she is drawn into a dark web of secret societies and shadowy conspirators, all driven by a mad desire to possess something that might not even exist. For buried in a centuries-old manuscript is the secret to ultimate knowledge and communion with the divine; it is said that he who controls the Lumen Dei controls the world. Unbeknownst to her, Nora now holds the crucial key to unlocking its secrets. Her night of blood is just one piece in a puzzle that spans continents and centuries. Solving it may be the only way she can save her own life."

I think this book sounds like a thriller akin to books like The Da Vinci Code and that has me MAJORLY intrigued. I love the idea of centuries old artefacts that hold incredible power and even though I've never read anything by Robin before, I've just pre ordered this book. Faith? It's a wonderful thing ;)

The Book of Blood and Shadow is published on 10th January, 2012. I do not know of any UK release as of yet. Incidently, in the meantime, Robin's other books have had a make over and check out the pretty!!! I WANT THEM!!

Monday, 10 October 2011

So, I figure I am one of the last book bloggers to read Cassandra Clare’s best selling Mortal Instruments series even though I’ve had the books on the shelves for at least 18 months. Yes, you read that right and I know, I feel slightly ashamed and I have to say that HOT DAMN, YOU GUYS WERE RIGHT - THESE BOOKS ARE AWESOME SAUCE WITH SPRINKLES AND A CHERRY ON TOP. So why did I wait so long to read them after everyone else was raving about them? Well, I was afraid that they wouldn’t live up to the hype, I mean what if *gulp* I hated them? This now seems like the most ridiculous notion to me *rolls eyes* and I could kick myself for waiting so long. Pretty much overnight, Cassandra Clare has made a fan girl outta me and has guaranteed that I will automatically buy anything she writes. Seriously. Here’s the synopsis:

“When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know....

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.”

Stephenie Meyer was not wrong when she said she wanted to live inside this story world. I DO TOO! Let me tell you about City of Bones. This is the kind of book that you race home from work for, the kind of book you end up TAKING to work so you can read it in your impossibly short lunch break. If I have learnt nothing else, I have learnt to eat jelly (Jell-O for the US crowd) and read at the same time without getting it all over the pages.

I have to say at this point that books help me to retain my sanity and I could not wait to dive back into Clary’s world as often as I could possibly manage. Apologies go out to my poor, neglected boyfriend for the late night dinners, the pile of dirty dishes by the sink and the overflowing laundry basket. There was nothing more important than this book I’m afraid.

One of the things that struck me most about this book was that Cassandra Clare taught me an invaluable writing lesson about characters. I always thought that you had to write characters that people “got” and you had to explain everything so that the audience understood. What I adore about Jace is how on the surface, he seems so fierce, so arrogant and confident, almost aloof but if you look a little deeper, he’s actually quite a conflicted and complex character. NEWSFLASH: PEOPLE ARE COMPLEX and that’s what makes Jace so realistic. His confidence and bravery are definitely sexy and he reminds me A LOT of Richard Gere’s Lancelot in the movie First Knight. Lancelot was portrayed as man who had nothing therefore he cared about nothing and ultimately feared nothing as he had nothing to lose. That’s how I see Jace. Of course, then in walks Clary and suddenly Jace’s world is altered. I love that the more of the book I read, the more I learned about Jace and the more I came to understand him without really having him all figured out. I think that’s a good thing though as there is just enough mystery left to make him alluring ;) You could say that to love him is to understand him. I suspect that like most of the female readership, I’m totally in love with Jace. One of the things about Jace that is the most appealing to his ever growing hoards of female fans *I think* is that we all want to be the one that discovers him, the real him that he keeps hidden away, we want to the be the one that unlocks his heart so that he can love freely and without pain.

Jace and Clary’s relationship develops over time and it’s like you don’t notice that they’re falling for each other until you do (if that makes sense) and I admit that I fell for Jace in the same way, slowly and quietly without realising. He might be snarky, arrogant, brave, sexy, confident, funny, rude, honest, and insensitive but he’s got a good heart, and a fierce sense of loyalty and duty.

Clary is a girl whose life is tied up in secrets. Described as petite and beautiful but she doesn’t realise how beautiful she is. I love the flirtatious banter going on between her and Jace at times and how their relationship blossoms so naturally without being over the top or in your face. The way he protects Clary is so endearing and melts my heart into a puddle on the floor. Clary is the girl who doesn’t realise her own potential, mostly because she’s never been allowed to. Now, Jace is opening her eyes just as she is awakening something deep inside him and things will never be the same again.

Another character I quite simply adore is Simon who is Clary’s best friend, a boy she has grown up with since childhood and I cannot stop picturing a young Colin Hanks in the role (think Alex from Roswell High). Having said that, Colin Hanks is now a little old for that role so I'm going with Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson) who would be perfect! Simon is a sweet, geeky goofball but he has some great lines and I’m interested to see where his character goes in the story, especially as he’s had a lifelong crush on Clary but has thus far neglected to tell her!

Reading about Alec Lightwood (Jace’s step brother of sorts) made me realise that I haven’t read a book with a gay character for a long time. Not on purpose or anything, but it’s not something I’d really thought of until now. I felt sorry for Alec who felt he had to hide his feelings for Jace for fear of ruining their relationship. Again, I'm interested to see how his character will develop.

Isabelle is Alec’s sister and she is sexy and confident and doesn’t she know it. I still like her though and she is the only heroine I know that would turn up to a dog fight in heels LOL.

I also want to mention The Silent Brothers whom I really liked and in fact, one of my favourite scenes in the book was when Clary went to meet them. I do think in part, that my fascination for them is influenced by a silent yet mysterious character in A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan whom I also loved but I saw The Silent Brothers as ancient monks in my head.

I’m so overwhelmed with the awesomeness of the characters that I haven’t actually mentioned the plot yet. I LOVE the fact that this book series is set in the heart of New York City and that mythical creatures don’t just exist in forests. The world of shadowhunters and demons blends into the backdrop of New York quite nicely as not everyone can see them, but Clary can. Why? READ THE BOOK AND FIND OUT!

City of bones is a truly awesome read and part of one of the best book series I have ever read. I still can’t believe that this was Cassandra Clare’s debut novel and you know what? BLOODY WELL DONE GIRL. Nephilim, demons, vampires, werewolves, warlocks and faeries - you name it and this book has got it! Do yourself a favour and don’t wait like I did, if you haven’t read these books yet, pick up this series like NOW.

City of Bones was published on 27th March, 2007. TO find out more about Cassandra Clare and her books, please click here to visit her website. She is also active on Facebook and Twitter. I couldn’t find an official trailer but here is an EXCELLENT fan made one (only she used Alex Pettyfer) but I’m not complaining! I can’t wait for this book to be turned into a movie!!!!!